Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Ueno Zoo- I was way more excited than this kid to see an assortment of beautiful, strange and interesting.

It's an okay coffee house we know as Starbucks; Ashamedly I’ve become a whore! It is the only reliable cafe frequenting the many corners of Tokyo city. The cashier staff sings your coffee order to the barrister staff, and then they all harp your order together in unity. Tsutaya Starbucks in Roppongi Hills is the best, with a comparatively decent selection of international magazines/ art books. It's not exactly the most the quaint of coffee spots or the cosiest of libraries; but the two commercial chain stores have joined nicely to serve a purpose.

Ginza Graphic Gallery; this place has a fast turn over of exhibitions, and if I have to time to waste in this pompous shopping district it is spent here. Recently showing prolific artists such as Alan Fletcher and MM Paris.

The seven dwarfs of Hiroo and the cities Christmas decorations by night.

Sora No Niwa; a very special restaurant with an imaginative menu of organic tofu and soy treats. I first dined at this place with a visiting friend, and have since gone back with friends ten fold. A delicious weekly ritual.

The Grand Park Hyatt's indoor swimming pool and spa.

Cosmic Wonder Aoyama Store; for a really whimsical retail experience. I felt like Alice in Wonderland opening suspense laden doors to reveal another world; that of the Cosmic Wonder closet. A hyper-minimalist and void-ish store offering a zen-esque retreat from the city outside. www.cosmicwonder.com

Barbecued corn on the cob; can be found at weekend stalls held in Harajuku's Yoyogi Park. The best way to cure a sore head on a Sunday is to eat festival food and revel in the hysterical acts of Yoyogi entertainers. My favourite stall holder even gives up his seat so you can 'dine in'; 400 yen well spent.

The Metro's endearing safety reminders.

And not to overlook the simple pleasures:

A electronically heated toilet seat on a winters night.

Drinking on the street from vending machines that sell cans of beer/ fruity sake mixers.